Home invasions in Coral Gables end with felon’s arrest

A man has been arrested after two home invasions in Coral Gables Monday that were first thought to be done by more than one person.

Gables police arrested Cedric Gray Jr., 36, on Monday afternoon at a house in the 1300 block of Capri Street in the North Gables after two home invasions separated by a chase through yards. Police released another suspect who had been detained, but they now believe he wasn’t involved.

Gray’s booking charges: two counts of resisting arrest with violence, one count each of armed robbery, armed burglary, aggravated battery, burglary with battery, battery on a person 65 or older, kidnapping, tampering with a victim, resisting officer without violence and criminal mischief of over $1,000 damage.

The pile of charges carries similar weight to those for which Gray did 13 years, four months and 20 days in Florida’s penal system: three counts of burglary of an occupied car (carjacking); one count each of attempted carjacking, carjacking with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, grand theft less than $5,000 and escape. He got out Jan. 1, 2013.

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Police say the resident of a house in the 1200 block of Capri Street called police upon returning home Monday afternoon and finding an unfamiliar gray Nissan Maxima parked in his driveway. The resident parked his car to block the Nissan in the driveway. While on the phone with the police, the resident saw his uninvited guest exit his home holding a machete and a handgun.

Gray is accused of going to the resident, pointing the gun at him and hitting him with the handle of the machete while telling him to end the call to police. Next, he wanted his parking unblocked. As the resident complied, the police arrived. Gray ran.

His escape route took him through the backyard of a house in the 1300 block of Capri Street, where he encountered an elderly male. Police say Gray forced the man into his house as the victim yelled. This drew police, who eventually arrested Gray in the house.

Also on Monday, a man walking along the 2300 block of Ferdinand Street, near Coral Way and Country Club Prado, around 1:40 a.m. was arrested and charged with loitering and prowling and burglary of an unoccupied structure. Police said the man, Isvel Morera-Perez, 39, was acting suspiciously and police uncovered stolen property they traced to a burglary in the 2300 block of Country Club Prado. Morera-Perez was taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remained Tuesday.